New Jerusalem

In the inspired Revelation, the apostle John records information concerning the “new Jerusalem.” (Rev. 3:12) This “new Jerusalem” is not depicted as the wife of God and mother of Christians, but as the “bride” of Christ. (Rev. 21:2, 9-27) Other apostolic writings apply the same figure to the Christian congregation of anointed ones. (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:21-32) In Revelation chapter 14 the “Lamb” Christ Jesus is depicted as standing on Mount Zion, a name also associated with Jerusalem (compare 1 Peter 2:6), and with him are 144,000 having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.—Rev. 14:1-5; see NEW JERUSALEM.

Unfaithful Jerusalem

Since much that is said concerning Jerusalem in the Scriptures is in condemnation of her, it is clear that only when faithful did Jerusalem symbolize or prefigure the true Christian congregation, the “Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16) When unfaithful, it was pictured as a prostitute and an adulterous woman; it became like the pagan Amorites and Hittites that once controlled the city. (Ezek. 16:3, 15, 30-42) As such it could only represent apostates, those following a ‘prostitute’ course of infidelity to the God whose name they claim to bear.—Jas. 4:4.

It can thus be seen that “Jerusalem” is used in a multiple sense and the context must in each case be considered to gain correct understanding.—See APPOINTED TIMES OF THE NATIONS.

JERUSHA(H)

(Je·ruʹsha[h]) [possessed, i.e., married].

Mother of King Jotham; wife of Uzziah; daughter of Zadok.—2 Ki. 15:32, 33; 2 Chron. 27:1, 2.

JESHAIAH

(Je·shaʹiah) [salvation of Jah].

1. A Levitical descendant of Moses through Eliezer, and an ancestor of the Shelomoth whom David appointed one of his treasurers.—1 Chron. 23:15; 26:24-26.

2. A Levite musician of “the sons of Jeduthun,” selected by lot to head the eighth of the twenty-four Davidic musical groups.—1 Chron. 25:1, 3, 15.

3. A Benjamite whose distant descendant lived in Jerusalem during Nehemiah’s governorship.—Neh. 11:4, 7.

4. Head of the paternal house of Elam in whose group were seventy males accompanying Ezra on the return to Jerusalem.—Ezra 8:1, 7.

5. A Merarite Levite who also returned with Ezra from Babylon.—Ezra 8:1, 19.

6. A descendant of King David; grandson of Governor Zerubbabel.—1 Chron. 3:1, 19, 21.

JESHANAH

(Jeshʹa·nah) [possibly, old].

A place mentioned along with Mizpah as indicating the location of the stone that Samuel set up and called “Ebenezer.” (1 Sam. 7:12) Jeshanah was one of the cities captured by Judean King Abijah (980-977 B.C.E.) from Jeroboam the king of Israel. (2 Chron. 13:19) It is considered to be identical to the Isanas referred to by Josephus as the site of Herod the Great’s victory over General Pappus. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XIV, chap. XV, par. 12) The name “Isanas” seems to be preserved in Burj el-Isaneh, a village some five miles (8 kilometers) N-NE of Bethel. This place has therefore been suggested as a possible identification for ancient Jeshanah. Another site, favored by some, is Ain Sinja, about three miles (c. 5 kilometers) SW of Burj el-Isaneh.

JESHARELAH

(Jesh·a·reʹlah) [upright toward God].

A ‘son of Asaph’ listed among the musicians and singers in David’s time. (1 Chron. 25:1, 9, 14) He is probably the same as Asharelah.—1 Chron. 25:2.

JESHEBEAB

(Je·shebʹe·ab) [perhaps, may the father continue to live].

The priest whose paternal house was selected by lot for the fourteenth course when David had the priestly services divided up.—1 Chron. 24:6, 13.

JESHER

(Jeʹsher) [uprightness].

A son of “Caleb the son of Hezron; of the tribe of Judah.”—1 Chron. 2:3-5, 18.

JESHIMON

(Je·shiʹmon) [a waste, a desert].

1. A bare wilderness area seemingly at the NE end of the Dead Sea, in which area Beth-jeshimoth was perhaps located. Apparently Pisgah and Peor overlooked Jeshimon.—Num. 21:20; 23:28; Josh. 12:1-3.

2. A region near Ziph, situated N of the wilderness of Maon. It would appear that Jeshimon included part of the wilderness of Judah and lay a few miles SE of Hebron. In this area of naked, chalky hills David and his men hid from King Saul.—1 Sam. 23:19, 24; 26:1, 3; see JUDAH, WILDERNESS OF.

JESHISHAI

(Je·shishʹai) [aged].

A descendant of Gad.—1 Chron. 5:11, 14.

JESHOHAIAH

(Jesh·o·haiʹah) [perhaps, humiliated by Jah].

A Simeonite chieftain, one of those to expand their territory at the expense of the Hamites during the days of King Hezekiah.—1 Chron. 4:24, 34-41.

JESHUA

(Jeshʹua) [Jehovah is salvation].

1. An Aaronic priest in David’s time. The ninth of the twenty-four divisions of the Aaronic priesthood as arranged by David was assigned to the house of Jeshua. Probably the same house is listed among those returning with Zerubbabel from Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E.—1 Chron. 24:1, 11, 31; Ezra 2:1, 36; Neh. 7:39.

2. One of the Levites assigned in charge of distributing the tithes and contributions in the priests’ cities; also to such of these as were serving in the sanctuary during the service period of their divisions; these priests brought along with them their sons from three years old and upward when they came to serve at the sanctuary, and the children ate with the family in one of the sanctuary’s dining rooms.—2 Chron. 31:15, 16.

3. An Israelite of the family of Pahath-moab, some of whose descendants returned from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 6; Neh. 7:11.

4. A high priest (called Joshua in Haggai and Zechariah), son of Jehozadak and grandson of Seraiah. (Ezra 3:8; Neh. 12:26; 1 Chron. 6:14) He was of the house of Eleazar.—See Ezra 7:1-5 for the genealogy from Eleazar to Seraiah.

When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem he put to death Seraiah, who was high priest then, and took Jehozadak captive to Babylon. (2 Ki. 25:18-21; 1 Chron. 6:14, 15; Neh. 7:7) Jeshua returned from Babylon in 537 B.C.E. with Zerubbabel and served as high priest to the restored Jewish remnant. (Ezra 2:2; 5:2; Hag. 1:1) Thus the high-priestly line was preserved by Jehovah, so that Israel had the services of high priests from the restoration until the coming of the Messiah. Jeshua took the lead, along with Zerubbabel, in setting up the altar, then in rebuilding the temple, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. (Ezra 3:2; 5:1, 2) He stood by Zerubbabel in opposing the adversaries of the temple reconstruction. These troublemakers were people whom the king of Assyria had settled in the land when he took the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel into exile. Therefore they had no right nor part with the restored remnant in participating in the rebuilding work, as they requested.—Ezra 4:1-3.

Some of the older ones among the returned Israelites had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple and tended to view the rebuilt temple as nothing in comparison. Haggai the prophet was sent to speak to Zerubbabel and Joshua (Jeshua), telling them that the glory